


The Butterfly Effect [Levi x Reader]

by Sams_Stories099



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Grumpy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi Ackerman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28939959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sams_Stories099/pseuds/Sams_Stories099
Summary: There are sometimes events in one's life that change the course they are on and leads them to a much different fate. . .In this slow-burner romance, Levi and OC Kat find themselves hopelessly entangled in each other's lives: whether they like it or not!One night when Kat is walking home from a late night at work, she comes across a certain dark and mysterious stranger. Thinking he either is drunk or has amnesia she offers him her help. Will he eventually open up to her, or will they part ways?
Relationships: Levi/OC
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1: The Encounter

“Hey miss, another round!”  
“Two more over here as well.”  
“Be with you in just a second,” you tossed casually over your shoulder as you filled yet another martini glass to the brim. The warmth of the bodies crowding the bar and softness of the dimmed light enveloped your body as you worked, while loud music and chatter floated around you and up to the ceiling as you continued pouring and mixing tirelessly. This night felt as if it would never end.  
Make no mistake, you loved working nights at the local pub – you were one hell of a bartender – but there were some nights where your shift seemed to drag on and on.  
After what seemed like an eternity, you enviously watched the final remaining couples saunter out into the gusty October night; their flushed faces boasting hues of satisfying liquor and cuisine. You sighed and averted your gaze from their silhouettes huddled together as the front door slammed shut behind them and glared at your distorted face in the glass you were currently polishing, suddenly feeling an unwanted emptiness creep into your heart.  
“Leave that to me Kat. You need to go home and get your rest,” Natalie appeared behind you, nearly causing you to drop the glass in your hands. Your co-worker and close friend snickered at your clumsiness and snatched the glass and towel from your hands, all but pushing you out the door.  
“Thanks Nat, I’m exhausted,” you smiled gratefully at her and proceeded to the kitchen to say goodnight to the chef; as was good restaurant etiquette. “Have a good night Joseph!” you waved at him and threw the back door open, finally free.  
“Be careful! Drive safe!” he called after you, his voice faintly travelling through the already closing door behind you.  
“Always am,” you muttered to no one in particular as you made your way to the car. The cold, harsh northern climate made you regret leaving your cozy bar, the wind tearing through your jeans and thin shirt.  
‘Almost there’, you thought to yourself as your feet dragged on through the final stretch to your car in the far lot. Had you not have had your head downcast and hood shielding your face from the wind, you might have noticed the figure slouched against the fence to your right.  
“Fuck,” you cursed as your boot caught something and you stumbled forwards, nearly steadying your footing in time before falling completely. “What the hell?” you exclaimed quietly as you turned to investigate what had caused you to trip, only to find a man sitting slumped, unconscious against the parking lot fence. “Hey, buddy,” you lightly nudged the end of his tall boot with the toe of your own. “Come on, I don’t have time for this. Do you want me to call you a cab?” you said coldly, having been fed up with dealing with drunks for one night. “Seriously, wake up. You’re gonna freeze out here.” You informed, eyeing his thin clothes and . . . cape? Examining his attire more thoroughly, you realized just how strangely this man was dressed. Still not receiving a response, you decided to pat him down to check and see if he had a wallet or phone, or at least something that could help identify him. You gasped aloud when you felt a hand dart out and grasp your wrist with a surprising amount of force.  
“What do you think you’re doing?” a deep, monotone voice questioned.  
“I’m just trying to help. Do you have someone you can call?” you asked. The figure in front of you offered no response but the grip on your wrist did not loosen. You were suddenly very aware of the fact that you were in an unlit parking lot alone with a complete stranger. “Look, it’s two in the morning and I don’t know what you’re doing passed out in a parking lot, but can you at least tell me where you live or the name of someone – ”  
“Who the hell are you?”  
“My name’s Katarina. I don’t see why that matters. Now, if you could just –”  
“I don’t need your help,” he said flatly, cutting you off again. You pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration and exhaled deeply, lifting your eyes back up to his face. You were shocked to discover that he was staring intently back at you, confusion clouding his piercing grey eyes.  
“Okay fine,” you huffed. “At least let me give you the extra coat in my car. You’re going to catch a cold in whatever the hell you’re wearing. What kind of outfit is that? Halloween isn’t for another 17 days – was there some sort of convention or something? Because it’s not bad cosplay, I’ll give you that,” you joked, trying to lighten the mood. Your efforts were futile however, and a pang of worry hit you when you saw that he had no idea what you were talking about.  
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, eyeing your own revealing clothing. You shivered, feeling the heat of his intense gaze sweeping over you.  
“Do you have a phone to call a cab?” you pressed, ignoring his comment. He simply raked his hand through his raven fringe and averted his eyes, avoiding your stern gaze. Genuinely concerned for his safety, you tentatively asked “Do you know what I’m talking about?” Again, no response. “Do you know what a phone is?” Nothing. “Do you know what a cab is?” Silence. “Are you suffering from amnesia?”  
“Something like that,” he whispered and released his death grip on your wrist, “Just leave me alone,” he spat, turning his head to once more look back into your eyes. Although he was very guarded and standoffish, you could sense his underlying fear and uneasiness and were genuinely concerned for him. You pondered over what you should do. You couldn’t very well just leave him here, could you? He didn’t seem like he had bad intentions.  
‘I’m such a fucking idiot. Always the martyr’, you inwardly kicked yourself for what you were about to say.  
“Can you stand on your own? I can take you back to my place – just for the night so you don’t die out here in the cold,” you offered your hand to him, but he slapped it away and slowly pulled himself off the gravel, leaning heavily on the fence for support. He just stood for a minute unmoving, and looked you up and down as if weighing his options carefully.  
“I don’t need the help of some girl, let alone one dressed like that. You should be careful of who you just invite back to your home,” he said in a judging tone.  
“Yeah, sure,” you waved his rude comment away, “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that because you obviously are in need of help and are either too stupid or too stubborn to ask for it.” You began to make your way to your car, half hoping he’d follow, and half hoping he’d walk in the other direction. After a few agonizing seconds you heard the crunch of gravel under his boots as he followed behind you. You reached your car and unlocked the front doors, grateful to get out of the cold. Another few seconds passed before you realized the man was standing outside the passenger door with a baffled expression on his face; he was staring at your car as if he’d never seen one in his life.  
“For fuck’s sake; what the hell am I getting myself into?” you cursed under your breath and reached awkwardly across the console of the car to pull the handle and swing open the passenger door. The man climbed into the seat, looking more confused than ever. He regarded the dash of the car along with all the different buttons and knobs with scrunched eyebrows and a frown.  
“You better put your seatbelt on,” you told him while gesturing towards his seat. When he just stared blankly at you, you let out a frustrated huff and reached over once more to grab his seatbelt and click it into place. The man just stared straight ahead with a menacing scowl plastered on his face to mask the slight blush you could barely make out in the dark car, obviously embarrassed that he needed help with something such as a seatbelt – or so you thought.  
“So you got a name?” you asked while you busied yourself with adjusting the heater and putting the car into gear. You figured he at least owed you that. When the vehicle lurched into motion, his hands darted out to grip the dash of the car, uncertainty and fear etched into his pale features. You simply sighed and continued driving; you were almost used to his silence and strange behaviour by now.  
“Levi.”  
“Nice to meet you Levi,” you smiled warmly at him.  
“Tch,” he examined you with cold eyes and turned his head away from you to peer out the window.  
The rest of the half hour car ride continued in this fashion. The silence wasn’t all that bad though; you almost appreciated it after the rowdiness of the pub. A little ways into the trip, Levi seemed to finally relax slightly into his seat which put you at ease.  
“This is me,” you pointed to the small apartment complex that grew taller in the windshield as you pulled closer into your parking space. The jingle of your keys echoed loudly in the empty stairwell as you climbed towards your destination. Reaching your apartment door, you jammed the key into the door and kicked it open, longing to get off your aching feet after a long shift. You turned around to see Levi standing hesitantly in the doorway. “What do you think?” you asked, sweeping your arms in a grand gesture around your small, underwhelming studio apartment.  
“It’s a shit mess,” he stated curtly, eyes sweeping around carefully with a judging expression. There was something else behind those eyes . . . surprise? Confusion? Astonishment?


	2. Chapter 2: Biology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is getting settled into his new digs, and Kat quickly realizes he isn't the most friendly house guest.

“Why thank you!” you grinned at him, voice dripping with sarcasm. You didn’t catch his eye roll as you turned to sloppily kick your shoes off and throw your keys and purse on the kitchen counter, then proceeded to your bedroom to grab a blanket and pillow for your new house guest. “Here,” you thrust the heap in your arms at him and moved to clear away the smaller throws from your couch, back still aching from your long shift.  
After you had finished creating a little makeshift bed for him on the couch, you left him standing awkwardly in the middle of your living room to route through your drawers, trying to find suitable enough clothes that would fit him. You returned to the living room, the largest shirt and sweat pants you could find in your hands.  
“Strip.” You ordered.  
“Excuse me?” he raised his eyebrow at you, crossing his muscular arms over his chest defiantly.  
“Strip and give me your clothes. They’re damp and cold, I’ll throw them in the dryer for you. . .here,” you handed him your clothes.  
He eyed you skeptically from under his slick wet bangs, but did as you asked. You felt a slight blush creep up your cheeks the moment you realized you had been gawking at his powerful, lean frame. He noticed you looking while he was pulling your grey sweats on and cocked his head, shifting his weight to one leg and crossing his arms yet again. You had to admit, it was quite surreal seeing a half-naked stranger standing in your living room like it was the most normal thing in the world.  
You cleared your throat and quickly averted your gaze telling him “I’ll go dry your clothes for you,” and turned on your heel, heading swiftly to the laundry room.  
What just came over me? You asked yourself, shaking your head in utter embarrassment. You had to admit – he was very handsome. But he was also very strange. You couldn’t explain it, but you had this feeling in the pit of your stomach that you just couldn’t shake; your life would forever be changed by this strange, otherworldly man. I’m probably just tired; you shook it off, humming absentmindedly to yourself as you opened the dryer and took out your own clothes before throwing Levi’s into the chute.   
“What material is this?” you heard his low voice ask softly from behind you. To your utter horror you turned around to find your new guest holding up a particularly lacy pair of your panties, eyeing it with complete curiosity. You involuntarily squeaked, surprised at his boldness – you’d been so wrapped up in your own thoughts you hadn’t even realized he had followed you!  
“Give me those!” you snatched the garment from his hand. “Okay, we need to lay down some ground rules. No snooping through my things, no going into my room, and don’t try to operate any of the household appliances without my guidance. Got it?”  
“That won’t be necessary,” he scoffed, “I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”  
“It’s late,” you stated coldly, “let’s just both get some sleep and go from there. Okay?” you didn’t even wait for his response, brushing past him to the kitchen for a glass of water. You weren’t exactly sure why, but his blunt words stung a little – was he that adamant to get away from you, even after all of your kindness? After grabbing a glass of water, you padded softly to your bedroom, bare feet cold on the hardwood floor. On your way you passed the couch and noticed that Levi had already fallen asleep, smiling faintly at his form under the blanket, little tufts of his onyx hair peeking out from the top.  
“You need something?” his annoyed voice slightly muffled by the blanket over it.  
“Goodnight Levi,” you said softly before retreating to your bedroom and shutting the door. His only response was to grunt in your direction; not thanking you once for all your hospitality. Thank god he was under the covers or he would’ve seen the deep blush that had spread across your cheeks upon being caught staring.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Uhn,” you groaned and stretched, forcing your squinty eyes open and shielding them from the patterned light pouring in from behind the blinds. A smile curled itself around the corners of your lips as you felt your back crack satisfyingly when you stretched in a cat-like manner. You sighed and decided you deserved five more minutes to yourself and flopped back against your pillows, breathing in the cozy scent of your fresh sheets. “Oh shit!” you shot up straight, remembering a certain someone on the couch after only a few seconds of sleepy bliss. You groggily wrenched your body out of bed and moved to the door, the chilly floor unwelcoming against your feet. Your hand hesitated on the door knob, silently wondering if Levi would even still be there. Slowly turning the knob, you could hear your heart pounding in your ears. Stepping out into the living room, you observed the couch and noticed the blanket had been folded neatly and placed on top of the pillow, no traces of your mysterious guest anywhere.  
“I guess he left,” you announced to the empty room and shuffled with deflated shoulders to the kitchen to turn the kettle on.  
“Who left?” a familiar voice startled you.  
“God!” you whipped around toward the kitchen table in surprise, one hand grabbing the edge of the counter and one clutching your chest in fear of your heart jumping out of it. “Do not scare me like that!” you bellowed at the very person you thought had left.  
“Sorry,” he apologized half-heartedly, regarding your – now very alert – form and dishevelled bed head, his head resting on the palm of his hand. You noticed he had a book open in front of him and made your way over to see what reading material he had, annoyed that he had broken your rule of not going through your things. It was your biology textbook that you had left open on the table before leaving for work; you decided you couldn’t really count that as him snooping through your things as it was lying open on the kitchen table.  
“Stellar reading material isn’t it?” you asked sarcastically, jerking your head in the direction of the book. He looked up at you with utter confusion and then moved his eyes back to the book.  
“You think it isn’t? What story is this?” he asked matter-of-factly.  
You snorted at his remark, assuming he was joking. “How did you sleep?”  
“Fine. It would have been better if your constant talking hadn’t kept waking me up,” you missed the glare he shot you, turning to finish your initial task of turning the kettle on.  
“Yeah,” you chuckled softly, “I wasn’t very popular at sleepovers when I was younger because of my odd sleeping habits. Do you want some tea?” you glanced in his direction, to see him nodding wordlessly while he immersed himself in your biology book. “What kind?” you asked.  
“What do you have?”  
“Uh, let’s see. . .” you hummed while scanning the cupboard. “I’ve got green tea, chai, orange pekoe, raspberry pomegranate, apple cinnamon, peppermint, chamomile, jasmine, oolong and winter berry.” He said nothing and strode over to stand closely behind you, peering into your shelf of tea with wide eyes.  
“This is all yours?” he asked.  
“Yeah?” you drew the word out slowly, “it’s just tea,” you snorted, baffled at the fact that he thought your cheap tea collection was impressive.   
“I know what tea is, idiot,” he snarled defensively.  
“But . . . I thought you had amnesia,” you turned to eye him skeptically, noticing how close in height the two of you were.  
“Tch,” he stuttered awkwardly. You could tell he was nervous by the way he was scratching at the buzzed hair behind his neck.   
Just who is this guy? You thought to yourself, but decided to drop the topic for now.


	3. Chapter 3: Broody Sexy Danger Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat faces a rude awakening when she realizes that Levi won't tell her a single thing about himself

“I hope you like bacon and eggs!” you called over your shoulder at the strange man still nose-deep in your biology text book. His only remark was to hum in your direction a soft sound of approval, but you noticed the skepticism in his eyes at the mention of bacon and hoped he wasn’t a vegetarian. You smiled in satisfaction when the smell of the breakfast food from the sizzling pan wafted up to your nose, inhaling deeply and taking in the comforting scent. “It’s ready,” you announced, hastily scraping the fried eggs off the pan and shimmying the bacon from the pan to the two plates on the counter. Levi had made no indication of moving from his spot, so you kindly brought a plate to him, setting it down awkwardly on the edge of the table beside the still open book in front of him. You noticed his mug was already dry, so you went to replenish the hot water for his tea.  
“Thank you,” he mumbled through his hand, still resting his head in it.   
“My goodness, he does have manners!” you slapped your open palm to your chest in mock surprise. He looked up at your display and simply rolled his eyes, but not without flashing a half crooked smile in your direction. You were still astounded at the fact that this man could be so ungrateful and rude to you even after all your help; you almost felt sorry for him. “Oooh, you’re reading the section on cellular division and diseases, that’s a good one,” you joked in between bites of your breakfast, lazily waving your fork at the book. He remained silent, but gave you a quizzical look from under his brows, almost as if you were crazy for talking about the subject so casually.   
All awkwardness aside, you were relieved he seemed to be enjoying his breakfast. The way he wolfed down the bacon made you wonder when the last time he ate anything of substance was. Turning your gaze from your new companion to the glass sliding door behind him, you felt the sun beat through the glass and onto your face, prompting you to close your eyes and smile, enjoying something as simple as the warmth on your cheeks.  
“You’re certainly more cheery than last night,” Levi huffed in your direction, interrupting your brief moment of peace.  
“Yeah, I guess a hard day of work and a strange night can make a girl grumpy” you chuckled a little, recalling your frustrating night. You cracked an eye open, peeking at your guest to catch him gazing at you. You were quite surprised to see an almost remorseful expression flash across his chiseled features. “Anyways. . .I need to head to the store and grab some groceries,” you cleared your throat. The silence had gone from comfortable to awkward and tension-filled in a matter of seconds. Your actions felt rushed as you cleared the plates from the table and rinsed them before throwing them into the dishwasher, the clanging of the ceramic being knocked around felt painfully loud in the silence. A knock at the door just then made you jump.   
“Kat it’s me! You ready to go?” in your eventful night you had forgotten Natalie was going shopping with you. You shot a glance at the raven-haired man, who was half-standing out of his chair looking like he was on high alert. The sight almost made you laugh.  
“What’s so funny?” he glared at you with venom in his voice.  
“Sorry, you just look like one of those military trained guys ready to leap into action. As if Natalie is a threat!” you chortled, shaking your head. What puzzled you was the fact that Levi seemed to grow even more solemn and quiet at your last remark. Had you offended him somehow? You shook it off, deciding to write it off as just another strange Levi quirk. “I’ll be back in a few hours, okay? Don’t do anything crazy until you get your full memory back, and whatever you do, do not try to use the oven or any kitchen appliances . . . okay?” you instructed him, while hurriedly grabbing your coat, purse and keys while shoving your feet into your worn sneakers.   
“Kat, what’s taking so long?” Natalie asked, letting herself in and immediately laying eyes on Levi. She glanced at you in confusion before resuming staring down the stranger sitting at your kitchen table in your sweats, who glared back with a dark expression.   
“Okay ready to go!” you answered in a forcedly excited tone, eager to escape your apartment, which was starting to feel a little too crowded at the moment. You grabbed Natalie by her coat sleeve and pulled her out the door, an incredulous look on her face.   
“Who is that? When did you meet him? Why are you leaving him in your apartment?” she bombarded you with question after question regarding your new guest as soon as the door had swung shut. You mentally face-palmed, absolutely positive that Levi had heard it all from inside the apartment. You said a small mental prayer, hoping you could trust to leave him alone in your home.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Shhhh!” you forcefully shushed her, the bright hue appearing on your cheeks revealing your embarrassment.  
“Why are you shushing me? Those are perfectly normal questions to be asking someone that is letting a complete rando shack up with her!” Natalie practically shouted her response at you, her genuine concern for you written all over her face. “Like seriously Kat, what’s going on here? You would’ve told me if you started seeing someone else after Ethan . . . right? I mean do you know anything about this guy? He could be a complete psycho! Do you have a fucking death wish?”  
You paused, bringing Nat’s fast paced steps to an abrupt halt as well. You pressed your knuckles to your lips and inhaled sharply, thinking of how to explain your delicate situation to your best friend as she spun around to face you.   
“You don’t understand Nat . . . I’m just trying to help out someone in need. I found him passed out in the parking lot and he was in rough shape. At first I thought he was drunk and was going to call him a cab but he didn’t even know what a cab or my phone even was. He was wearing some weird uniform with a cape and told me he had amnesia. I was concerned for him, and since he obviously had no place to stay the night I am letting him crash with me just until he gets his memory back and can get back on his feet, okay?” your speech had become faster and faster the longer you explained, words tumbling frantically from your lips in an attempt at being granted validation from Natalie.  
After a minute of contemplation, Nat smirked, “And this stranger in need just happens to be ‘brooding sexy danger guy’?”  
“I guess so. What luck, right?” you chuckled, letting out a harsh breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Nat eyed you suspiciously but said nothing; you were off the hook. For now.   
The silence between the two of you continued as you made your way into the grocery store, warm air from the vents blasted your face and made your hair lash about angrily as you entered the automatic doors. You and Nat methodically made your way up and down each isle of the store, occasionally pausing to inspect an apple or carton of eggs before adding it to your growing collection. After reluctantly paying the zombie-like cashier and awkwardly juggling your many bags, you departed the store with your friend in tow.  
“I’ll see you at work tonight then?” Natalie asked you as you headed your separate ways at an intersection; her apartment was a few blocks south of yours.   
“Of course – that is if I don’t get murdered first,” you jokingly tossed over your shoulder at her, the chilly October wind carrying your voice to her with ease.   
“You’re just hilarious,” she retorted. You could easily imagine the scowl on her face as she walked away from you.  
On the brief solitary walk to your apartment you took the time to reflect on Natalie’s warning to you. As much as you hated to admit it, she was right to be concerned. The more you thought about it, the more it irked you that Levi had not once attempted to tell you anything about himself or even be friendly in the slightest. The further your steps took you, the more this newfound anger filled your mind and heart.   
So I don’t know anything about him, huh? You thought to yourself, well that is certainly about to change.


	4. Chapter 4: I Can't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Levi butt heads on his true reason for being here.

You sighed heavily as you dragged your many grocery bags through the seemingly too small doorway and heaved them onto the marble countertop. Levi, who was still invested in your text book, glanced up at you struggling with the plastic bags and moved to help you after a moment’s hesitation.   
“Thanks,” you mumbled half-heartedly under your breath.  
“No problem,” his response equally as dull. He took note of you beginning to unpack the bags and followed suit, pulling out item after item and placing them on the counter.  
“I got it, it’s fine,” you shooed him away, waving your hand in the direction of the kitchen table “you wouldn’t know where any of my things go anyways. Go back to reading since you seem to enjoy my boring biology textbook so much,” you chortled.  
“How is it boring?” he paused with a box of pancake mix in his hands, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his steely grey eyes at you quizzically.   
“I don’t know, I’ve never actually thought about it,” you mused, “I guess I’ve just always been more drawn to physics and mechanics instead of biology. You know . . . stuff you can physically calculate and there’s a finite answer on the page in front of you, no uncertainty or variability.”  
“So the stuff this book claims isn’t totally true?” his brows knit together as he grew more confused by your explanation.  
“Well, no. I mean, it’s true because we can prove it through experiments and whatnot, but some of the things explained in the book such as how our bodies work and how the universe began are just very good guesses. Many people strictly believe in this science, but I think a more popular opinion would just sum all life up to God’s work,” you rambled on.  
“And you believe . . . ?” he trailed off.  
“Oh I believe in God – to an extent. But I also believe in science. I don’t think that I have a perfect vision of him like some religions state and what other people imagine God to be, but I also don’t think all of the beauty in the world and the miracle of life could have come to be through any other means but by an all-powerful force. That’s my definition of God,” you explained in a quickened tone, arms flailing about in all sorts of gestures. Levi couldn’t help but smile at the evident passion that lit a fire in your amber eyes when you spoke of this stuff. It was inspiring. A pang of worry hit his chest however when he saw your expression turn from spirited to one of concern and slight anger.  
“So there’s religion here too?” Levi asked almost under his breath, taking note of the change in the atmosphere of the room.  
“How can you be hearing this for the first time? I mean, even a person with amnesia would understand how basic biology works and what God is! And what do you mean by ‘here too’? Where are you from?” you bombarded him with questions. Levi remained silent, which only angered you further. “Look, I can tell that you’re hiding something. I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket-scientis-”  
“What in the hell is a rocket?” Levi cut you off.  
“Okay,” you huffed impatiently and pinched the bride of your nose in an attempt to calm yourself. “Here’s the bottom line. I am 99.9 percent sure you are lying to me about losing your memory. I don’t know if you are in some kind of trouble or are having financial issues or whatever,” you threw your arms in the air in frustration, “I don’t care about any of that. I’m not going to judge you, whatever your deal is. But I simply can’t have a fucking stranger – especially a man – staying in my house if I don’t know your motives and background. I know you said you wanted to leave as soon as possible but I don’t exactly see you leaping for the door, and I can tell you need help. I want to help, but in order to do that you need to be honest with me. Okay? Honesty is my only policy, and I’ve got a damn good bullshit detector.”   
You worried you had overdone it, because as the steam left you following your rant, looking into Levi’s vacant stare revealed dancing shadows of conflict and horror in his normally guarded eyes that raised the hair on the back of your neck. You knew in that instant that his story would not be a mundane one. “Hey,” you gingerly rested your hand on his forearm in an attempt to ground him. You nearly let out a gasp when he flinched at your touch, but then seemed to relax into your warm gesture which put you at ease. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh. You must have been through a lot. I just . . . need to look out for myself too; as a single female in my twenties living alone in a city,” you explained gently.  
“I understand,” he whispered, “I wish I could explain, but I can’t,” he said, words barely audible and pained. You suddenly felt a pang of guilt at causing him such conflict.  
“Why not?” you softly inquired.  
“I just can’t.”  
“That’s not an excuse.”  
“For fuck’s sake I can’t tell you Kat! This is better for both of us this way!” his outburst had pulled a loud gasp from you. But what had shocked you more than him raising his voice was that was the first time he had called you by name. It felt foreign, almost alien to you in the best way and you couldn’t put your finger on why. “S-sorry,” he stuttered quietly and averted his gaze from yours, quickly becoming embarrassed at the lack of space between your bodies.  
“I have to get ready for work. I leave in half an hour,” was your only cold reply to him, trying to hide your own embarrassment. You brushed past him and made your way into your room to get changed for work.   
What the absolute fuck was that? You thought to yourself as you pulled on your reliable black jeans and a long sleeved scoop-necked top, pulling your unruly dark brown hair from the shirt and into a loose pony tail and quickly swiping your mascara on. Gotta make tips one way or another, you darkly joked with yourself while addressing your suggestive appearance in the mirror. You sighed heavily and made your way to the kitchen.  
“There’s bread and fruit on the counter and you can help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge for dinner,” you said over your shoulder, not mustering the courage to even look at Levi at the moment. “I’ll see you later,” you said as you gathered your things and shut the door (maybe a little too hard) behind you. One last glimpse over your shoulder revealed Levi staring incredulously at a picture of a pod of blue whales in your biology book.


	5. Chapter 5: The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING* - This chapter contains a description of attempted rape, so please READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRESION.

Work was going surprisingly well. The customers seemed to all be in great spirits, your drink orders had been very easy and you and Natalie were getting along as if your dispute today hadn’t happened. You certainly appreciated the calming, mindless work that was taking your mind off a certain house guest you had back home. Things were finally looking up for you.  
You hummed an upbeat tune you heard on the radio earlier as you made your way to your car after your shift. Your lips turned up in a secret smile, feeling the large collection of bills you had accumulated tonight in your pocket.   
“Hey!” someone called. You glanced up from your phone, seeing a group of men by the parking lot, loitering around the street lamp. You counted 4; one of them was waving. Checking behind you revealed no one in sight but yourself. Maybe you knew them and just couldn’t make out who it was in the dark.  
“Hey,” you called back tentatively. They erupted into laughter at this. You were beginning to feel uneasy.  
“Hey sweetheart,” another one cooed, false sweetness dripping from his voice. It was then that you realized you were in great danger. Clutching the end of your keys between your fingers, you turned and began on a different path to avoid the men blocking the way from you to your vehicle.   
“Aw, where ya going?” a third voice slurred. Your heart beat rapidly quickened and your walking pace increased when you heard the crunch of footsteps echoed behind you. You forced yourself to summon the courage to check over your shoulder. Two of the men had broken away and were following you. Tears stung in your eyes when you thought about where this was going. Your pace was almost a run at this point, but the men had sped up as well.  
You reached your car and scrambled to open the car door but a large palm whizzed past your head and slammed it shut. “It’s not polite to ignore someone’s question sweetheart,” a deep sickening voice murmured from behind you.  
“Unwanted company isn’t polite either,” you shot back boldly. What a mistake that was.   
The man snarled and angrily grabbed a large fistful of your hair, slamming your forehead into the front window of your car. You cried out in pain and your hand shot up to your forehead – thankfully you couldn’t feel any blood. Your relief was short lived; the man then grabbed your upper arms, his large fists almost completely encompassing them and forcefully pushed your back up against your car. The dull ache in your arms was growing exponentially worse as he gripped tighter. You thrashed about kicking out at him and your foot managed to connect with his torso. He staggered back, giving you a little time to try to open your car door, but you weren’t quick enough. One glance over your shoulder revealed him coming at you with clear intent in his eyes. Before you could lash out again, he ripped your keys – the only method of defense you had – out of your hands and threw them on the ground. You could see the dark gleam in his eyes through strands of your hair, your heart beating so fast you could feel it in your throat and ears. More hot tears threatened to stream down your cheeks as the man overpowered you once again, this time ripping your shirt open down the middle. You whimpered as your body went into a state of utter shock.  
Why aren’t I screaming? Why can’t I fight harder? You thought to yourself. Your eyes darted around viciously looking for something, anything that would bring you salvation. The scenery around you blurred and dark as you became more and more panicked. For a split second, your eyes connected with the second man that was there, just standing a few feet away, watching his friend violate you with a conflicted look on his face.  
“Help me, please!” you screamed at him desperately. He only averted his gaze to the ground and turned around. “Get the fuck off me!” you screamed at your oppressor, a fire once again sparking in you to fight for your life. You bit down hard on one of his hands that were roughly caressing your face, causing him to stumble backwards once again. The other hand that was on the button of you jeans tore it completely off as he fell.   
“You bitch!” he yelled and lunged at you but you kicked out as hard as you could, hitting him square in between his legs. You screamed bloody murder as loud as you could, spooking the second man.  
“Come on man let’s just get out of here,” he dragged his friend back towards the others, who had witnessed most of the assault from a distance.   
After they had all left and were out of eyesight, you fell to your knees and broke down on the asphalt.

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You picked yourself up off the ground after what seemed like hours laying there in a dazed stupor. Dragging your feet to the location of your keys and retrieving them, you then forced yourself to get in the car and drive home to your apartment.  
Pulling up to your building, you felt the burning threat of tears pricking your eyes once more. Resting your tender forehead gingerly on the steering wheel you took a few deep breaths. “Come on Kat, pull it together,” you repeated to yourself.  
Gathering your strength, you climbed out of the car and dragged yourself of the stairs to your apartment. Luckily no one spotted you on the way up, so you wouldn’t have to explain why you looked such a mess.  
Shit. Levi.  
You forgot all about him tonight. Dreading seeing his reaction or having to explain, you opened the door begrudgingly and shut it quietly behind you, leaning on it for support; your legs felt like jell-o. Levi had moved to the couch but was lounging, still reading your text book – and almost done, you noted. When he heard you enter, he peeked over the top of the book covering his face. His eyes swept over you, confusion and astonishment and fear all swirling in them. The book clattered to the floor as he sprang up from the couch and but he made no move to rush over to you.  
“Shit, what happened to you?” he asked, voice quiet but urgent.  
“It was nothing,” you muttered, knowing he wouldn’t accept that answer.  
“Bullshit! You look like you got mauled,” he retorted, taking in your swollen face, dishevelled hair, ripped shirt and popped jean fly.  
You almost made it to your room while keeping a straight face, but when you heard Levi utter those words you burst into tears almost instantly. To avoid humiliation you rushed into your bathroom and locked the door. Staring at yourself in the mirror made you feel sick to your stomach and you were shaking uncontrollably. You curled up into a ball on the bathroom floor; the cold tiles felt good on your feverish skin. There was a slight knock on the door.  
“May I come in?” Levi asked in a more gentle tone.  
You nodded but realized he couldn’t see you so you croaked out a hoarse “yes” through the door, throat feeling like sandpaper from screaming.  
Levi felt an icy creeping in his veins when he saw you on the floor. He was worried for you and had no idea what to do. You looked so helpless and frail lying on the floor like that, his heart was filled with sadness and anger for you. Something he would never admit. “Who did it?” he asked pointedly as he helped you into a sitting position and leaned your back against the edge of the bathtub.   
“Some guys in the parking lot after work . . .” you trailed off.  
“Did they take anything from you?”  
“No. They weren’t trying to rob me,” you stated in a robotic tone, lifeless eyes staring straight ahead. Your words finally donned on him what had almost happened.  
“Fuck,” he murmured under his breath. The pity in his eyes when he looked at made your chest swell. It helped ground you. “You’re obviously in shock. You should take a hot shower and I’ll make you some tea,” he said, helping you to stand up.  
“You don’t know how to work the kettle,” you replied dully.  
“Seriously, that’s what you’re worried about right now?” he stared at you, dumbfounded. “I’ve seen you use it. I can figure it out. Let’s just focus on getting you in the shower,” Levi insisted as he helped you take off the remainder of your tattered shirt, your upper arms revealing large, dark bruises. Levi held his tongue but his eyes widened, but not enough for you to notice. He’d seen bodies in much worse condition before. You flinched when he went to help with your jeans, remembering the man’s hand tearing the button from them.  
“Sorry,” he muttered and backed away, those grey eyes looking stoic as ever. “I’ll go start the tea.”


	6. Chapter 6: The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SOFT BOI LEVI incoming

The first thought that creeped its way your mind when you awoke the next morning was how sore your body was when you attempted to stretch. The light streaming through your window was almost as harsh as the unwanted memories of the night before that came flooding into your brain.  
‘Damn, how late did I sleep in?’ You asked yourself, regarding how high the sun had climbed in the sky as you peeked through your blinds. With a heavy sigh, you pulled on some sweat pants and dragged yourself out of your room and into the main space of your apartment. You surveyed the room with squinted eyes, not seeing Levi anywhere, but heard laboured breathing coming from behind the couch. You peered around the cushions, finding your shirtless house guest working out in your apartment living room. You had to admit, it was a strange sight. You felt a slight blush creeping up your cheeks, feeling a bit strange watching him work out from behind your furniture. You deliberated for a few awkward minutes on whether you should speak up or not; he wasn’t aware of your presence yet. You decided it would be better to say something than for him to glance up and find you looming silently over him.  
“Hey,” you choked out, your voice cracking slightly as you tried desperately to sound casual.  
“You’re finally up,” he stated, not skipping a beat. He paused mid-push up and stood up to face you. You tried not to look down at his well-defined torso.  
“Yeah,” you chuckled half-heartedly and glanced at the clock that read 11:48, “I didn’t mean to sleep this late, sorry to leave you alone out here.” You strangely felt nervous this morning. It was like the mutual indifference you and Levi supposedly held towards each other had somehow shifted into something different; something more. Being vulnerable with him last night felt almost natural and his caring response had come as somewhat of a shock to you, now that you thought about it.   
“Don’t mention it. How are you feeling this morning?” his seemingly forced nonchalant tone pulled you from your musing, yet also confused you further. You made a mental note to compartmentalize your thoughts on your changing dynamic with your mysterious guest and come back to it later. You swallowed forcefully, noticing how thick your saliva was. Realizing how thirsty you suddenly were, you quickly made your way to the kitchen.  
“I’m fine thanks, how are you? Sleep okay?” you made a conscious effort to make your response light and distract from your current state. One look over your shoulder told you Levi wasn’t buying into it; his arms were crossed over his chest and one eyebrow was raised in a questioning tone.  
“I slept fine,” his skeptical eyes followed you as you stretched to grab a class from the cupboard and turned on the tap. You drank fervently from your glass, your thirst taking your mind off the tension-filled air for a moment. Water splashed over the sides of your glass and spilled down your chin, dripping down your throat and staining your white pajama shirt. “Someone’s thirsty,” Levi commented, and you swore you almost heard him chuckle. Embarrassed, you shyly set your glass down on the countertop and smirked at him as you wiped your face with the back of your hand. The corner of his mouth tugged slightly as he regarded your disarrayed hair and wet shirt front.   
“My god, he smiled, alert the media!” you shouted, voice filling the apartment. For a brief moment, you forgot all about last night and reveled in the cathartic release joking together brought you.  
“Shut up, brat,” he commanded, his hooded eyes scrunched in annoyance. However, there was no denying the small spark that shone behind the dark abyss in those captivating eyes.  
“But seriously Levi, would it hurt you to smile or even enjoy yourself the slightest bit while you’re here? I feel like I’ve been a good host to you, and yet you barely make an effort to even talk to me. You just bury yourself in my books and only interact with me when I feed you or you need something explained,” you shifted the conversation to one of a more serious tone. You could feel the frustration building as more and more words tumbled out of your mouth uncontrollably. You shouldn’t have expected a response from the unreadable man, but a part of you was still disappointed when he offered no return. You refused to break eye contact, amber scrutinizing eyes boring into guarded grey ones. After what felt like eons, he tore his gaze from yours, his eyes cast down. It was hard to decipher the exact expression he was bearing; you thought you caught glimpses of guilt and remorse flash across his face in between the usual composure he kept.  
“Fine,” you gave up trying to wring an answer out of him, “I’ll make breakfast. I’m sure you’re hungry. Now go take a shower already, you stink,” you teased, attempting to lighten the mood a little.  
“Tch,” he threw an annoyed glance in your direction but didn’t argue, and turned on his heel toward the bathroom.

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Focusing your attention on cooking helped your frustration fade to a simmer. You felt your mind relax as you tasked yourself with dipping the bread into the whisked egg. Making French toast always made you feel better when you were having a shitty morning. Levi had just emerged from the bathroom as you were laying the first pieces into the pan. You felt bad when you realized he was still wearing the original sweats you gave him. You snuck a glance at him toweling his onyx hair; it somehow looked even blacker when it was wet, as if it was completely absorbing the light around it. It always took you by surprise when you really looked at him – past the ungratefulness and scowling – and saw just how handsome he was. A random little thought wormed its way into your mind; you wondered what he thought of you. Did he find you attractive or did he just merely view you as someone he had to put up with? Allowing yourself to enter that rabbit hole was a dangerous thing, you decided, and shook the thought from your mind.   
“Getting a good look?” Levi’s low timbre was laced with both amusement and annoyance when he addressed you. You had been caught staring once again.  
“Sorry,” you blushed.  
“Why do you look at me like that?” he questioned. You paused to craft your response.  
“I guess you just . . . are unlike any man I’ve ever met. I don’t know. There’s something, almost otherworldly, about you, I guess,” you mused.  
No response.  
You waited.  
Still, no response.  
After a few minutes of complete silence, you sighed heavily and turned your attention to the pan on the stove. You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you didn’t hear Levi close the gap between the two of you.  
“I’m sorry,” he breathed, his husky voice barely audible over the sizzle of the toast. Hesitantly, he laid a hand on your shoulder and turned you around to meet his gaze. Your heart beat thundered in your ears and you held your breath. You had never been this close to him before; your faces were inches apart. It bothered you a great deal that a man this ignorant and rude brought forth this kind of physical reaction in you.  
“What are you sorry for?” you almost whispered, eyes wide and quizzical.  
“I haven’t been honest with you. Or appreciative, for the matter,” he said admittedly.  
You cocked your head to the side, still meeting his gaze. You were still attempting to form a reply but were stunned into silence from the sudden change in his behaviour.  
“Never a better time to start,” you smiled crookedly and continued, “you know, if you’re going to be staying here longer, you at least owe me an explanation. And you have to pull your weight around here,” you added, shrugging off his hand.  
“Tch. Have you not noticed how spotless your previously disgusting apartment is? Or did you want to pull that weight?” He spat back, to which you simply stood and glared at him, face screwed into a scowl.  
“You forget who pays the rent,” you stated. You wanted to poke him about the strange coins you found in the pockets of his old pants not being able to cover it, but your better judgement told you not to reveal that you went snooping around in his things. “Look, that doesn’t matter to me. But what does matter is at least knowing a little something about the person I am apparently letting squat in my apartment for an indefinable amount of time. Can’t you tell me anything?”   
“Ask me again in a little while,” was all he said.  
‘What the fuck is that supposed to that mean? Haven’t we had this conversation before?’ You thought to yourself, exhausted and once again frustrated. Before you could get any more exasperated, the heavenly smell of buttery French toast enveloped your senses.


	7. Chapter 7: Just Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You play a little song for your boy and it makes a neighbour mad. Levi doesn't like that too much...

Breakfast was a silent affair. The only noises to be heard were the loud scraping of the forks and knives on the plates and the occasional sip of tea.  
“I noticed you finished my biology book. You got any other hobbies, or do you just like to subject yourself to dry reading material?” You asked, trying to lighten the mood from earlier.  
He paused for a moment, eyes sweeping over your face. “Cleaning, drinking tea, sometimes horseback riding, and exercising,” he reluctantly answered.  
“Well then I bet you’ve got quite the bucket list huh?” You joked, chortling to yourself a little.  
“What makes you so interesting then?” he retorted defensively.  
“Me? Oh, I do lots of things,” you said matter-of-factly.  
“Oh, really? All I’ve seen you do is sleep, work, get groceries and repeat,” he accented his response by putting his cutlery down on his cleaned plate, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. You didn’t like the challenging look in his eye. You knew he was trying to antagonize you, and you also knew that it was going to work.  
“Did you ever stop to consider the fact that I don’t do anything because in my spare time I’ve had to take care of some ungrateful, amnesia-ridden moocher?” You hurled the words at him. That set a light ablaze in his eyes that you had not yet seen. You could see the real reason he was still here – the secret he was hiding – dancing just beneath the surface of those charcoal eyes. He was dying to lay it all out and make you look like an idiot for being so angry. ‘Come on, just say it . . .’  
As soon as it had come, the light in his eyes died out abruptly. That challenging look was then replaced with one of sadness and loneliness. To the untrained eye, it would be hard to spot – but you had gotten good at reading Levi’s subtle tells in the few days he had been here. He must have been through something terrible. You just knew it would put you at ease to know what was going on in his mind. Still, you felt bad for imposing such a sour mood on the breakfast.  
“Hey, if you like to work out, you’re welcome to come to my gym with me. Guests are welcome,” you smiled warmly at him. This question raised another issue in your mind: he had no clothes. You decided you would take him shopping for a few things later.  
“Fine,” he slowly rose from the table, gathering your plate up with his and making for the kitchen. You twisted as far as your back would allow in your rickety wooden seat to observe him beginning to fill the sink with soapy water.  
“Thanks,” you mumbled in quiet surprise. You decided that if he was offering, you weren’t going to argue. You absolutely hated doing dishes. You couldn’t stand when it made your hands go wrinkly.  
You cringed at your chair scraping harshly on the ground as you stood up. The past few days had been some of the most exhausting and stressful you had experienced in a long time, and you needed an outlet to let some steam off.  
Your feet carried themselves over to the baby grand piano in the corner of the room – it was the only nice thing you owned. Your back was to Levi so you missed the curious look on his face as he watched you take your seat at the piano bench.  
Just like that, your brain switched off; you were on autopilot in this state. It was second nature, like breathing. You allowed your fingers to glide effortlessly over the ivory, hitting all the right notes to create a hauntingly beautiful tune. Head tilted back, you felt your eyes slide shut as you began to sing the lyrics to your own song. Your words floated up and around the room, the entire apartment resonating with the rich timbre of your powerful voice. You reveled in the fabulous duality of your song; singing warmer lower notes and then allowing the sound to rip through your windpipe as you climbed to the vibrant high notes at the top of your range. When you sang, it was as if you were possessed and surrendered your body completely to the music. Your chest swelled with pride as you perfectly drew out the last few lyrics before coming to a grand stop. You couldn’t help the smile that crept its way onto your face from the pure joy of playing and singing. Turning around, you tucked your hair behind your ear so you were able to gauge Levi’s reaction. He had completely stopped his cleaning, his mouth slightly agape but his expression almost unreadable. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by someone banging loudly on the door.  
“Hey! Keep it down in there! We don’t want to hear that shit!” a booming man’s voice echoed through the door.  
Levi took four powerful strides towards the door and flung it open to reveal an out of shape, middle-aged man with a receding hairline, wearing a hockey jersey. Although he was much larger than Levi, he easily picked the man up by the collar of his jersey and threw him into the wall.  
“You piece of shit-” the man grunted in anger and lunged at Levi, who simply side stepped the advance like it was the easiest thing in the world, and the man tripped and fell into the hallway from the sheer force of his own attack.  
“The next time you so rudely knock on someone’s door and insult a talent such as this young woman’s, I highly suggest you ask yourself if having all of your teeth is important to you,” he looked the man up and down with a look of indifference and mild disgust, “Although, judging by your current state I don’t see how looks are important to you to begin with. Don’t bother us again.” With that, he slammed the door shut, leaving the man outside with an incredulous look on his face.  
“Did . . . did you seriously just threaten to knock his teeth out?” You look at him, eyes widened in shock. “Because that was fucking awesome. Thank you.”  
“Does he do that a lot?” he asked, straightening out his clothes with an impartial look on his features.  
“Yeah, but he won’t anymore,” you chuckled. One corner of Levi’s mouth turned up in a small satisfactory smile as he returned to doing the dishes.  
“Just play. Send the bastard a message,” Levi stated nonchalantly.  
‘What a convenient excuse for him to ask me to keep playing,’ you smiled to yourself. ‘If he wants to hear me play, then who am I to refuse?’ You sat back down at the bench, grin lighting up your whole face as you played the afternoon away.  
Just when you thought that maybe you had finally acquired some peace for once this week, your phone lit up. The name on the screen immediately sent a rush of adrenaline through you and a familiar sharp pang in the pit of your stomach that made you feel light-headed.  
Ethan.  
Fuck.


	8. Chapter 8: Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Levi go shopping and run into an unexpected person from her past...

“What is it?”   
You looked up from your phone to see Levi, tea towel in hand, regarding your expression with narrow eyes. Some of his onyx bangs had fallen over his eyes, and you found yourself wondering how soft they would feel if you were to reach out and brush them away.  
“It’s nothing. My ex is just pestering me,” you sighed and glanced down at the little bubble of words on your screen that was making your ears flush with anger. You waved your phone around in your hand to indicate to Levi that he was using your phone to talk to you, recalling the talk you had with him earlier in the week about what phones were. Explaining rudimentary technology was not as easy a task as you had expected it to be; every question answered just raised more questions from your guest. It took the two of you a few hours to nail down the subject of phones and basic technology, at least enough so that Levi didn’t feel alienated by you checking your phone. Every question that fell from his lips had you spiraling further into confusion about who he was and what his story had to be.  
‘It was a mistake Kat, please. She didn’t mean anything. I know you. You can’t be by yourself for more than a few weeks. It’s time to come back.’ It read.  
The words infuriated you. You told yourself you weren’t going to scroll up and reread the fight the two of you shared not two weeks ago followed by his many unanswered apologies, but your finger was already dragging itself mindlessly over the screen. You felt the familiar prick of hot angry tears behind your eyes, and immediately started blinking them away until your vision returned to what it was earlier. You had already cried in front of Levi once, so you steeled yourself and decided he wouldn’t see you in a moment of weakness again.  
“Seems you’ve got quite the fan club,” Levi’s voice pulled you from your thoughts. His soft monotone timbre plucked you from your anger as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over you. You glanced up from your phone and found those ever-guarded eyes scanning your face under hooded lids.  
“Guess so,” you chuckled, sniffled once, and ran the back of your hand across your nose to catch the small drip threatening to escape. “Anyways,” you stood up and clasped your hands together, forcing a light cheer into the tone of your voice, “I think it’s time we got you some clothes.”  
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“What kind of music do you listen to?” you asked as you started the car and fiddled with your phone and the frayed aux cable. Levi simply looked at you with a disinterested expression and blinked. You suppressed a long sigh and scrolled through your music until you settled on a song that always put you in a better mood. You happily sang along with the song, fingers tapping the steering wheel rhythmically and bangs swaying ever so slightly with every small head bop you performed. You figured that Levi would be eyeing you with one of his classic looks of pure skepticism; however a glance out of the side of your eye revealed a very different scene.   
“You like this song, don’t you?” you asked, a slow grin lighting up your features. To your utter surprise, the man was actually sporting a slight smile. You decided to ignore the tiny flutter your heart made when you observed how soft and angelic his features were when he looked at peace, or when your eye caught his long vascular fingers just barely tapping on his thigh to the beat.   
“Tch,” he rolled his eyes at you, seemingly embarrassed you had caught him enjoying himself.  
‘No, he’s just as impartial as ever. The feeling I had just now was a fluke. That’s all.’ You told yourself, but even the voice in your head didn’t sound very convincing.  
Finally, you had squeezed your car into parking spot near the back of the massive lot and stepped out of the car only to have your hair thrash and whip wildly around your face from a large gust of wind. You busied yourself with struggling to hook all the individual strands around your fingers and carrel them to behind your ears, but that didn’t stop you from noticing how Levi possessed a similar expression to when he first arrived at your apartment. He regarded the enormous mall with wide, almost child-like eyes.  
“Come on,” you sighed and the two of you two took large strides towards the shelter of the building, pulling the collar of your coat over your face to shield the sensitive flesh of your face from the biting wind.  
The lost expression failed to fade from his face as you guided him to the first store. He stood at the entrance, eyeing the shoplifting detectors with suspicion. You sighed and your cheeks heated up when you found yourself grabbing his hand and tugging him with you past the threshold. His hand was warm and calloused, and you mentally scolded yourself for thinking about how they would feel on your skin.  
“How about these?” you inquired, holding up a pair of simple black jeans. You took it as a good sign when he didn’t immediately reject them, and set off in search of a changing room. Admittedly, you felt a bit like a mom sitting on the bench just outside of the door to the dressing room waiting for him to showcase the outfits you prided yourself with picking out.   
“What’s that shitty look on your face?” he questioned, taking a defensive posture once again. You pulled yourself from daydreaming, not realizing you were glaring.  
“Sorry,” you chuckled, musing, “it’s just so annoying to me how guys never have to worry about how they look. They just somehow seem to pull off everything they wear.”  
“Hm,” his raised one of his thin eyebrows and cocked his head to the side, still looking down at you quizzically, “I didn’t take you for someone who worries about those things.”  
“Huh,” you offered no more than a hum in response and bit your thumb nail, growing impatient and wanting to move on to the next store, “was that the last item? We should get moving to the next place.”  
“What do you mean next place? I’ve got a heap of clothes in the room back there,” he challenged, his voice containing tones of both confusion and annoyance.  
“You need shoes, dummy. Now go get changed,” you rolled your eyes and spun him around by his shoulders, giving him a gentle nudge towards the way he came.  
Each time you pulled your Visa out to pay for the haul you two had accumulated, you once again couldn’t help but notice the incredulous look Levi was attempting to mask as he eyed the plastic from under those raven bangs.   
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“I think that went well,” you stated contently as the two of you braved the cold trek back to the car. Levi simply grunted your way in response and you almost laughed at the sight of him with a dozen bags on each arm, waddling through the windy parking lot.  
“Hey, Kat!” your name, carried by the wind, was an assault on your ears when you realized the owner of the voice.  
“Keep walking,” you kept your voice low and instructed Levi to continue on to the car.   
‘Why, why, why him? Why now?’ you cursed inwardly and prayed that he would not follow you to your car. A gasp escaped your lips when you felt a hand dart out and grab your coat sleeve, jolting your body to a halt.   
“You just going to ignore me then? After everything?” You let your eyes make their painfully slow way from the ground to finally lock with the piercing blue eyes of Ethan.   
“I don’t know what you even want me to say. I think I made it clear I didn’t want to talk,” you narrowed amber eyes and crossed your arms defensively. Another powerful gust of wind penetrated through your coat, sending a slight shiver down your spine that you hoped went unnoticed.  
“Is it because of him?” Ethan’s voice had an aggressive undertone to it when he jerked his chin in Levi’s direction, giving him a menacing look. You back was to the raven-haired man, so you didn’t catch him glowering back at Ethan with a scowl plastered on his face.  
“What? No. I barely know him. I just don’t want to be with you anymore. I told you before that this would be the last time you hurt me. I meant it,” you said firmly. You were so focused on the building anger in your chest that your ears barely picked up that Levi had placed the bags in the car and was making his way over to you.  
“That’s bullshit Kat, and you know it. You honestly think this guy knows what’s good for you? Kat, I know you. We have history. You can’t honestly just easily throw that away,” Ethan rambled on, beginning to sound both nervous and angry.  
“Is there a problem here?” Levi’s bored tone interjected.  
“No. We’re leaving,” you stated staunchly and turned on your heel.  
“Kat wait,” Ethan’s hand snaked itself around your elbow, jarring you backwards once again. A smaller pale hand darted out and placed a firm grip on the forearm of your captor.   
“You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself,” Levi’s voice had gone from bored to dangerous in seconds.  
“Can you fuck off, man? I’m just trying to talk to my girlfriend,” Ethan was becoming increasingly irate. He aggressively tore his hand from your elbow and shook Levi’s hand off, giving him a glare.  
“Ex-girlfriend,” you spat.  
“You can’t be serious,” Ethan’s brow furrowed as you gazed down at you. “I made one mistake! Show me someone who hasn’t made mistakes.”  
“You made a choice. Actually, now that I think about it, the amount of texts I read between you and her was definitely more than one, you cheating piece of shit-” your rant was interrupted when you stumbled backwards. Ethan’s eyes became feral with rage, with the type of expression you see in a wild animal that has been cornered. With that blaze still alight in his eyes, he had lunged forwards, but Levi moved to put himself right in his path to you and threw his arm out in front of your chest to block Ethan’s advance, causing you to stumble somewhat.  
“You need to leave. Now,” Levi ordered in a demanding voice you had never heard before. Against common sense, Ethan ignored this warning and continued to advance. Even though Ethan towered over Levi, you worried for Ethan if things turned physical. Something in your gut told you that Levi was not the type of man you’d want to antagonize. You watched the exchange with your white knuckles pressed feverishly to your lips. Levi placed his palm in the center of Ethan’s chest and flicked his wrist so that the heel of his palm slammed into Ethan’s sternum with such force it created a resonating clap, and you watched as your ex careened backwards.  
“Whatever. You’re gonna regret this Kat. There’s something not right about this guy,” Ethan spat and glared at the two of you before turning on his heel and making for the other end of the parking lot.  
After you and Levi had gotten settled in the car and were finally on a stretch of road where you didn’t need to focus so much on the traffic, you risked a glance at him, but his expression gave away nothing.  
“I’m really sorry about that,” you said shyly.  
“Tch, don’t be stupid,” your passenger turned away from you, leaning his head on the heel of his palm and watched the building and cars whiz by out the window.


End file.
